Huntsville gazette., 1887-11-26
BEGINNING OF a CITY
Interesting Story of the Founding of Port
land, Oregon.

The announcement of the death ~
! Frank w. Pettygrovc, who founded
this city, will cause deep regret among
many Of the early pioneers and much
interest in the far-seeing man by VIVA
came later and achieved fortunes herr
While Nh. Pettygroye, With General
A. l.. Lorejoy, was engaged in ''mer.
chandising" at Oregon City in 1913, he
received an offer from John P. Over
/ ton, settler, to sell his claim of 640
acres ''twelve miles down the river =
Overton's title in the premises con-
/ sisted simply in his having ''staked
off, the claim. and this slender riobt
he offered to sell for fifty dollars, u ~
"traded OUT at the store. As there
was no money in the country at that
time all traffic was conducted "a tbe
"barter and swap" plan. The mer-
chants held Overton's offer in refusal !
few days until they could learn whether
or not his claim could be reached Nv
ships, all OF which discharged their
cargoes at Vancouver, whence goods
were taken to Oregon City by canoes
and barges.
Pettygrove & Lovejoy saw what
others failed TO see-that the city of the
future must be at that point nearest
the heart Of the Willamette Valley
which could be reached BY deep-water
ships. Overton's proposition came at
the time this matter was under discus
sion by them, and the location Of the
land in question, ''twelve miles down
the river" suggested it as the site
for city. Pettygrovo embarked
at Oregon City in canoe manned
by Indians, and, proceeding to
the mouth of the Willamette, careful
ly sounded its channel up to point op-
posite Overton's claim, which he found
to be eligible in every way. It was
demonstrated by his sounding that
ships Of the class then in the Oregon
trade could easily ascend, and further
bars convinced Pettygrove that they
could easily be dredged or removed
when the era of deep ships should come.
And SO Overton's offer was accepted.
and for fifty dollars in store plumber
the ground where Portland stands. or
that part of it extending one mile
above Stark street and one mile back
from the river, was sold to Pettygrove
& Lovejoy.
4 point adjacent to the Willamette
Valley where goods could be lasded
from ocean vessels had been obtained,
and the next consideration necessity
in the new enterprise, was to make
road connecting that point with the
Taulatin Plains, then the most popu-
lous section in the valley and State.
Thomas Brown, a surveyor, just across
the plains with the immigration of
1843, was engaged by Pettygrove to ex-
anime the route across the rough and
wooded country, between the objective
points, and, after devoting several
weeks to the work. reported that road
could be built to Walkers Prairie, liz
miles, but that its cost would approach
$1,000. Undaunted by this estimate,
something great in proportion to the
scanty business Of that early
day, Pettygrove engaged Brown to
prosecute the work, which was com
menced early the next season and COM
pleted in October. Its cost was 81, 800,
and Pettygrove paid it from his private
resources, not asking 4 dollar from the
settlers.
He then established store near
where the Esmond Hotel now stands,
and the following year unloaded three
ships from the Sandwich Islands,
whence all manufactured and imported
goods were brought at that time. The
settlers in Tualatin plains and the
country beyond found it to their ad-
vantage to transfer their patronage
from the Falls City to the new town,
which was nearer by some miles, and
it soon came into Importance. 1t be-
came village, then q goodly town
and then great commercial center,
the pride of the Northwest.
Mr. Pettygrove often told with great
glee Of the chance which resulted in
naming the new town. AS native of
Maine he naturally thought Of com
plimenting the metropolis Of that State
by giving it q namesake, while similar
motives prompted Lovejoy to call the
town Boston. The controversy was
finally settled by tossing the single
American coin in their possession-an
old red cent. 1t was agreed that the
one who threw the most heads in three
fips should name the town. Lovejoy
threw first and the result was: Tails
two; heads, one. Pettygrovc then
tossed the coin; it first came heads
and again heads-and 50 we live IN
Portland instead Of Boston.-PortIand
OrenOnjn1z